Those who defame religions...: Akal Takht head granthi on YouTuber's murder

The head granthi of Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Malkit Singh, on Tuesday said that those who defame religions by indulging in vulgarity should face consequences, while commenting on the recent murder of popular YouTuber Kanchan Kumari. The 27-year-old influencer, who was also known as Kamal Kaur or 'Queen', was found dead inside a parked car at a medical college campus in Bathinda on the morning of June 11.

"The Guru has always given a message to stay away from vulgarity and such songs, regardless of their religion - Hindu, Sikh or Muslim. But there are some people who indulge in this. Nothing wrong has happened (because) those who change their names and try to defame the Sikh community must be stopped," Singh told reporters in Punjabi.

The head granthi also urged the youth to avoid listening to such obscene content, pointing out that similar incidents have happened in the past as well.

A resident of Ludhiana, Kumari had more than 3.83 lakh followers on Instagram, and was known for her bold and often controversial content on social media. She was popular for posting videos with explicit language and had been involved in multiple online controversies.

Her body was found, heavily decomposed, inside a parked car at the Adesh Medical University campus after locals complained of a foul smell coming from the vehicle. According to a preliminary investigation, the crime may not have occurred at the university, and it was suspected that the influencer was killed elsewhere. She was possibly strangled and then her body was put inside the car, which was later abandoned at the parking lot of the university. The number plate on the car was found to be fake.

Police have been investigating possible links to a prior threat that Kumari received in October last year from Canada-based designated terrorist Arsh Dalla. He had reportedly warned the influencer against posting "inappropriate" videos online.

Police earlier told India Today that while the threat was being taken seriously, all other angles were also being examined. "We are looking at every possible lead — nothing can be confirmed at this point," SSP Amneet Kondal said.

According to sources, Kumari had told her parents that she was en route to Bhatinda on June 9. However, the influencer lost contact soon after she arrived in the city. Police said Kumari had left home on June 9 to attend a promotional event.

Police said on Sunday that the alleged key accused in the case, Amritpal Singh Mehron, fled to the UAE hours after the incident. Two accused - Jaspreet Singh (32) of Moga and Nimratjit Singh (21) of Tarn Taran - were arrested on June 13.

Further investigations revealed that two more accused were involved in the case. They included the associates of Mehron, with one being identified as Ranjit Singh. Both have been named in the registered FIR, Bhatinda Senior Superintendent of Police Amneet Kondal said, adding efforts are on to arrest them as well.